Looking above though, it seems that Liddle was only playing for an average of about 40 minutes.

I can only imaging Taylor going 80 minutes. Mcilwrick maybe if he really really trains hard, but Taylor is the only player I can see regularly going at 80 minutes.

So you either plan to have a reserve hooker or have someone like Marshall who can play hooker + be a replacement for most players.

There's a couple of different ways you can do it. You could have Liddle playing 2 stints and have Talor play dummy half while he's off. You could have Liddle start with Mcilwrick on the bench. You could even have Josh Reynolds switch to hooker and have Marshall off the bench to play 5/8. Either way, I still have Liddle as our most talented hooker.

But do you want Liddle starting?

I get what you are saying, but if you look at your games:
the first 20 minutes is "don't stuff up". Sometimes people score here but defense is usually better as people are not as tired.
30+ people tire.
60-80, people are very tired.

To me Taylor is the "lets tender up the opposition a bit" type player and Liddle is the "they are tired, lets make them run" type player. Yet we need good flow from hooker to half/5-8... So Mcilwrick and Liddle become more preferred, especially if we are going to pass the ball around in attack.

Man, I hope Ivan loves making tough decisions. Almost every position we have people pushing for selection.

Yes we should chop n change the spine positions 3 times a game...mind boogling indeed

We don't have an 80 min hooker so he needs to be replaced = mind blown. Excuse me for thinking replacing him with the best option made sense.

Well ummm .....if you start Taylor at hooker and make 1 interchange with a specialist hooker in McIlwrick..Taylor goes into the backrow either at lock or on an edge....keeps the rest of the spine in tact of Brooks Reynolds and Lolohea...for the 80 mins..

Yes we should chop n change the spine positions 3 times a game...mind boogling indeed

We don't have an 80 min hooker so he needs to be replaced = mind blown. Excuse me for thinking replacing him with the best option made sense.

Well ummm .....if you start Taylor at hooker and make 1 interchange with a specialist hooker in McIlwrick..Taylor goes into the backrow either at lock or on an edge....keeps the rest of the spine in tact of Brooks Reynolds and Lolohea...for the 80 mins..

Outside the sqare i know..

This is how I'd like it to unfold. Not a fan of two 9s in the 17. Once Liddle is fit same process can be applied.

Yes we should chop n change the spine positions 3 times a game...mind boogling indeed

We don't have an 80 min hooker so he needs to be replaced = mind blown. Excuse me for thinking replacing him with the best option made sense.

Well ummm .....if you start Taylor at hooker and make 1 interchange with a specialist hooker in McIlwrick..Taylor goes into the backrow either at lock or on an edge....keeps the rest of the spine in tact of Brooks Reynolds and Lolohea...for the 80 mins..

Outside the sqare i know..

Taylor starting at 9 makes a lot of sense. It certainly strengthens our ruck defence and I'd be inclined to play him there for 25 minutes before Liddle/McIlwrick comes on. Liddle is the fitter of the two but physically he's not there yet, so yeah, I'd then slot Taylor into backrow to give Aloiai a breather and then maybe move him to 13 for the last 15 or so giving Eiso a break.

Probably our weakest position. A few players could do a job but no stand-outs at hooker

.
No one is terrible at DH but no one is a possible rep player either.

Disagree TD - I think a number of positions are weaker than DH.

Liddle is definitely a future rep player and was already named in the Emerging Blues squad for 2018 as a future Origin star.

He may not play in the first couple of rounds due to shoulder recovery but why people think he cannot play 80 minutes is beyond me. Once he comes back, a full preseason behind him and the experience of last year and now knowing what to expect in the NRL - there will be no stopping him.

He is sharp and very quick from the PTB, runs when he can do some good, a good thinker as to where the ball is needed and a very good defender in the middle.

McIlwrick, Godinet etc. will need to find new positions or get used to ISP in 2018.

DH are just different initials for JL - watch him make the position his own this year.

Just a Liddle bit of Jacob will improve us heaps.

After three rounds. I still maintain that Hooker is our weakest position.

Probably our weakest position. A few players could do a job but no stand-outs at hooker

.
No one is terrible at DH but no one is a possible rep player either.

Disagree TD - I think a number of positions are weaker than DH.

Liddle is definitely a future rep player and was already named in the Emerging Blues squad for 2018 as a future Origin star.

He may not play in the first couple of rounds due to shoulder recovery but why people think he cannot play 80 minutes is beyond me. Once he comes back, a full preseason behind him and the experience of last year and now knowing what to expect in the NRL - there will be no stopping him.

He is sharp and very quick from the PTB, runs when he can do some good, a good thinker as to where the ball is needed and a very good defender in the middle.

McIlwrick, Godinet etc. will need to find new positions or get used to ISP in 2018.

DH are just different initials for JL - watch him make the position his own this year.

Just a Liddle bit of Jacob will improve us heaps.

After three rounds. I still maintain that Hooker is our weakest position.

Probably our weakest position. A few players could do a job but no stand-outs at hooker

.
No one is terrible at DH but no one is a possible rep player either.

Disagree TD - I think a number of positions are weaker than DH.

Liddle is definitely a future rep player and was already named in the Emerging Blues squad for 2018 as a future Origin star.

He may not play in the first couple of rounds due to shoulder recovery but why people think he cannot play 80 minutes is beyond me. Once he comes back, a full preseason behind him and the experience of last year and now knowing what to expect in the NRL - there will be no stopping him.

He is sharp and very quick from the PTB, runs when he can do some good, a good thinker as to where the ball is needed and a very good defender in the middle.

McIlwrick, Godinet etc. will need to find new positions or get used to ISP in 2018.

DH are just different initials for JL - watch him make the position his own this year.

Just a Liddle bit of Jacob will improve us heaps.

After three rounds. I still maintain that Hooker is our weakest position.